Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did, I would let everyone know what happened to Brock on Valencia Island. I don't own "The Shining" either. I hope Stephen King doesn't sue me.
So there is no confusion, all the characters are the same age and appear as they do in the TV Series.
Last time, Misty discovered that neither Ash nor Brock paid her a visit last night. If it wasn't them, though, who was it?
Summary: Weird things are starting to go on at the Fireside's Warmth Hotel. Only this time, Ash is the victim.
Midnight! Pokéball Go!
by Spruceton Spook
Part 8:
Something More Than Just Strange Vibes
Around eleven o'clock later that morning, Misty was still a little on the jumpy side. Every time Ash or Brock caught her unexpected attention, she would leap up or scream or sometimes both. She would shake all over and it was even beginning to make her sick. She wound up taking a couple of Tylenol to get rid of the pounding headache that had somehow befallen her. Ash tried to get her to do things with him, but she refused, telling him that she wanted to rest.
Misty even had Ash and Brock spooked about the hotel. Neither of them went off on their own the whole day, whether it had been to get a drink or go down to the lobby to check out the front yard. Misty stuck by both the boys' sides, and whenever they were in a room together and one of them got up, she would immediately jump up and ask where they were going. They had only been awake since eight that morning, and the three hours that had past seemed like a day.
Finally, while sitting in the lounge for about a half an hour, Brock became fed up with the whole business. Although he was kind of scared about what had happened to Misty the night before, he felt utterly ridiculous playing scardy-cat. He craved to get up and explore the hotel, whether it was haunted or not. There were still so many rooms and places in the hotel to explore, and he didn't care if Ash or Misty told him he was crazy.
Still, the feeling that he had experienced yesterday was one that kept popping up into his mind. The sensation that Misty had described in which "hundreds of eyes were watching her" was suspiciously similar to the way he had felt when the three had walked around the third floor of the hotel. Earlier before, he was convinced that he had been scaring himself with his own imagination, but now that he wasn't the only one to get strange feelings, it bothered him. Could he have been dealing with perhaps the same thing that had preyed Misty?
He shook it out of his head. It was insane to even think things like that! There was going to be nothing like that affecting him in this place. Brock just wouldn't let it.
"I'm going," he said to the other two, getting up from the slumped position he had been on the couch.
Ash looked at him in a troubled way. "Going where?" he asked.
"I don't know. For a walk," he replied, slowly shuffling out of the room.
"Where are you walking to?" Misty asked him as if it was even ludicrous to think such a thing.
Brock shrugged as if he were annoyed. "Look, I'm not gonna waste the whole day sitting around like a bum! I'm not scared, and neither should you be. There's nothing here, okay? Nothing."
Ash and Misty didn't say a word. Brock sighed. He didn't mean to sound so bad-tempered like that, especially to Misty. He had to be careful with her today. Whether or not something did happen to her, he wasn't going to upset her already fragile disposition. But he wanted to snap them out of this stupid trance that they had fallen into. Misty could have been dreaming for all they knew, and remaining in one room all day hiding from it was unexceptable to him.
"I'm sorry," he apologized whole-heartedly. "I just--I just think that this is stupid. If we're gonna feel so weird in this place, then we might as well leave. Because it's not worth staying here to just fear it."
"I know," Ash replied. "But I own this place. I mean, can we leave?"
Brock laughed a bit. "What do you mean 'can we leave?' Of course we can, we're not in solitary confinement!"
Ash smiled. "I don't know if I want to leave. I like it here, and if this place isn't haunted, then I'll feel terrible that we didn't take more advantage of being here."
Misty didn't utter a word during Ash and Brock's brief conversation. Her hands trembling a little, she suddenly froze in place. She held her breath, then exhaled it a bit at a time as to not make a sound or move a muscle. Something totally different now was making her uncomfortable. She was affected by a totally new perception, one that she couldn't explain or put her finger on. She looked up at Ash and Brock talking, and all of sudden she thought someone else was in the room. The presence only lasted but a second, but Misty could not doubt it. Someone was looking into the lounge. She was not facing the doorway, but she sensed it. Her head quickly turned to the direction of the doorway. Her heart was pounding. She let out a small gasp.
Ash and Brock heard her. They immediately diverted their attention to her and the terrified look on her face. Noticing her eyes were somewhat glued to the opposite wall, they spun around to see what the problem was.
There was nothing there. Ash and Brock were confused, as was Misty. The terrified look she had displayed suddenly became one of bafflement as she too noticed that nothing was there.
"Misty, are you okay?"
Misty lifted her head to meet Brock's eyes. She smiled a little.
"Yeah, I'm okay," she replied, cheerfully at that. She pointed a finger at both him and Brock and grinned slyly. "Gothca!"
Brock and Ash looked at each other, then began to laugh. Misty watched them reacting to being had, while in the meantime her heart slowly returned to its normal beat.
"Now you're creeping me out, Misty!" Ash exclaimed, giving her a playful shove. "Cut it out!"
She happily shoved him back. Ash could have sworn that that was the happiest she had looked all day. Brock was holding his head in his hands, smiling out of relief. He clapped his hands once to get their attention.
"I'm goin' exploring," he said, turning to leave. "Don't wait up for me."
Misty and Ash waved good-bye to him, and he left. Walking down the main hallway, he thought about where it was that he wanted to check out the most. He reached the front lobby and looked out the window. The day was sunny, but certainly not warm. He could tell by how the wind was blowing every tree in sight towards the east. Chilly winds. Blowing towards Pallet Town. Where they probably would have reached by now if they had kept going. He wondered when they would finally resume their trip. Suddenly, the heater started up again, and Brock felt a blast of hot air hit his legs. He was standing right beside a vent. Brock realized now one place where he hadn't been, and that was the basement.
"Now, where could the basement be?" he asked himself out loud, and decided to look for it by the main staircase. Sure enough, a weird shaped door stood there, and he slowly turned the knob, which was a little difficult at first. The door creaked on the rusty hinges, and Brock wondered if the door had even been opened in last ten years. Fumbling his hands around the walls leading to the basement, he discovered a light switch. He wouldn't have been surprised if it hadn't turned on, but miraculously it did. The huge florescent bulbs lit up the winding staircase, and Brock curiously began his way down the stairs.
________________________________________________________________________
As soon as Brock left, Ash decided that he was getting bored, also. He was sitting right now in a hotel that was all his, and he didn't even know anything about it. He glanced at Misty. About to ask her if she wanted to go for a stroll through the hallways, he suddenly decided not to. Still, he felt bad about leaving her alone in her condition, or maybe making her feel left out.
"Hey, Misty?" he said. She smiled up at him. "I'm, uh, I think I'm gonna go for a walk, too. Is--is that okay with you?"
Misty heart froze. He's leaving me alone? she thought nervously to herself. No, no he can't, he just can't.
"Fine," she smiled, her body shuddering suddenly. "Just be careful okay?"
Ash put his hands on his hips and grinned. "Don't worry about me. You can come too if you want, of course. I don't want to leave you alone if you're nervous."
Misty shook her head. Deep down, she was having a heart attack. But she wouldn't let Ash know that. She produced the bravest smile she possibly could, and waved him off.
"Go, go have fun," she told him. "I can fend for myself."
"Okay," Ash replied. He started to walk out, but turned back to her. "Ya sure?"
Misty nodded. "Yes! Yes! Go!" she ordered him in a friendly manner, and with that he exited the room, Pikachu walking slowly at his heels. Pikachu looked back at Misty, and she waved to him, letting him know everything was all right. But Pikachu could sense something was not right. He thought that he should tell Ash, but wondered if Ash would even believe him.
Misty leaned her head back on the coach. She gazed out the huge window to her right, which showed a spectacular view of the distant mountains. Beginning to feel queasy, she got up and paced the room. Thank goodness she didn't feel any presence at the moment, but she was frightened that soon she would.
"I have to do something to calm myself down," she thought. She looked down at Togepi, whom she held tightly in her arms.
"What should I do Togepi?" she asked, feeling a bit foolish for asking a baby Pokémon for advice.
"Togi! Togi! Priiii!" Togepi screamed gleefully as usual, but since Misty still had trouble understanding, she sighed and set Togepi down. She looked at him and thought of her other Pokémon, all who had been in their Pokéballs since she had released them into the pool.
The pool. That was it! A huge smile took over her face. A swim was exactly what she needed right now. She had always swum in her pool at home when she was stressed out (which was very common), and it tended to make her feel better. Maybe swimming in the hotel's beautiful pool with all her Pokémon would take her troubling thoughts away.
She ran to the caretaker's quarters where she had moved most of her stuff that morning, and rummaged through her bag in search of her bathing suit. She finally found it, stuffed underneath piles of clothes both dirty and clean, and pulled it. She closed the door and slipped it on, which she then covered with her bathrobe. Hoping that the poolroom would be as warm as it was yesterday, she grabbed Togepi and her Pokéballs, and began swiftly to the pool room. She was relieved not to feel any strangeness as she made her trip, and soon she reached the poolroom without any trouble. Misty swung the huge pool room doors open, and the familiar blast of warm air and smell of chlorine that she had know since she was very young greeted her. Suddenly, her problems melted away.
Ash, in the meantime, walked casually through the halls of the hotel. He was on the second floor, which for some reason he considered his favorite. The third floor had too many winding hallways, much like a maze, and they confused him. He was worried of even losing his way. Plus the wacky dream he had about Gary and the Presidential Suite didn't help either.
He looked down at Pikachu. "You feeling good, Pikachu?" he asked.
"Pikachu!" replied Pikachu affirmatively.
Ash nodded. He liked this hotel, despite the unusual events that had happened in the last two short days. They were memorable ones though, he had to admit that. The battle, the excitement he got when he realized that the hotel was his, the night he spent in the beautiful suite, the delicious meals--
"Ash."
Ash froze, and slowly turned around.
"Who's there?" he asked, his voice shaking. He had heard it, it was certain. But yet it was so faint...no, surely it must have been his imagination.
"Ash."
Ash's heart skipped a beat. The sound was coming from behind him. He spun around, only to encounter nothing.
Pikachu looked up at him, and Ash stared at his Pokémon nervously. "Did you hear that, Pikachu?"
"Pi?" Pikachu asked, baffled.
"You didn't?" Ash asked, looking around again.
"Ash.....Ash."
"There it is again!" he yelled out in a panic. Pikachu watched him in fear. Why was his trainer suddenly going somewhat insane?
"Pika pi!" Pikachu pleaded with Ash, asking him what was the matter.
The whispers began to build up now. Ash's eyes were wide with fear. Oh my God, I'm going insane! he thought as his heart began to race. He started to breathe in uneven heavy breaths, which caused Pikachu to shudder with terror. The Pokémon didn't hear a thing.
Ash suddenly started walking. At first, he kept his head straight and his eyes peeled ahead.
"Ash.....Ash...." The whispers continued on and on. Ash couldn't think of one thing. A hundred thoughts ran through his mind at once. His pace became faster, and Pikachu was now jogging alongside his friend's side. He looked worriedly into Ash's alarmed and utterly disorientated face.
Soon, Ash was running. He wasn't hearing much of the whispers now, but it had become worse than that. Someone was following, but he didn't dare turn around. And he knew damn well that it wasn't Misty or Brock. Something in his gut had just told him otherwise. Yet the whispers persisted, and he ran faster and faster toward the staircase.
"Pika pi! Pikachuuuu!" Pikachu cried, trying to settle Ash down or to at least stop his panic-stricken sprint.
Ash heard Pikachu, but he did not slow down. He was convinced now that Pikachu did not hear the whispers, if he had, he wouldn't have been asking him what was the matter. The stairs were about a hallway away. Soon, he'd be back in the presence of Misty or Brock, where it was safe...
"Ash!"
The sudden shout of his name stopped him dead in his tracks. That had not been a whisper. Someone had just without a doubt called to him. Ash's heart was unstoppable. He figured he was going to die, for his head began to throb as well. His whole body became paralyzed, and his head was slowly drawn to the room he was standing next to. The shout had come from there. If there was one thing he was certain of, it was that.
The room door seemed to stare back at him. It was room 220. Ash breathed in deep heavy breaths. The whispering had stopped. The strange sensation of someone following him had gone away. He now stood simply at the door with his worried Pikachu by his side.
"Come on in, Ash." The whisper again. It was low, almost as silent as it could be, but Ash picked it up instantly. He gasped quietly and turned toward the door.
"In here, Ash," the voice continued. It was definitely coming from the room. Ash wanted to run away more than anything, but something was keeping him there. Pikachu tugged at Ash's jeans, hoping to break him away from whatever was keeping his attention. But Ash ignored him.
"Ash." The voice, although shocking to Ash, was soothing and beautiful. Female, also. For a second, Ash could have sworn that it was his mother's voice. It had a certain ring to it that made Ash feel comfortable and relaxed. And it was beckoning him. Into the room. But why?
"Come on in, Ash," the voice continued in its lovely rhythm. Ash smiled a little.
What do you want? he asked the mysterious voice in his head.
"Come on inside, Ash."
Ash grabbed at the doorknob. He tried to turn it before he realized that it was locked.
"The key, Ash. Go get the key," sang the voice.
"I'll go get the key," Ash responded, and he turned on his heels and bolted toward the staircase, leaving Pikachu in his dust. Pikachu looked up at the door and then chased after Ash.
He finally reached him in the main lobby, where he saw Ash grab the 220 key off its hook. Why was he going in there? Ash dangled the key in his hand, and once again without noticing Pikachu, started up to 220.
TO BE CONTINUED. . .